Chapter 23 - An Uncontrollable Enemy (CF)
The rains battered Blizzerd’s face from his perch on the roof. The Koopas had been furious with him for orchestrating the escape, so they moved him from his single cell next to Aaron, Shazam, Sarge and Xavier, to the roof of the first tower of the Place of the Unruly, the one closer to the Clubba Castle. Blizzerd could still communicate with his friends - a small stone staircase separated them, opening out onto the roof. However, a guard was placed firmly between them, in front of the cell of the other ex-battlers. The chains strung around him glowed green, binding around his three-fingered hands, seizing his two circular parts together so he couldn’t speak, weaved around his antenna so he couldn’t move them. The only thing that gave off what he was feeling was the orange orbs at the top of his antenna, used for sometimes telegraphing emotion. Ludwig had renewed the old spell and put his own personal spell on the chains after the embarrassing escape of Tubba from his clutches. The Koopa King had leaned into Blizzerd, his blue eyes sparking with fury, and echoed quietly, clearly intending to intimidate the Wizzerd: “I’ll make you regret what you did.” Unable to reply, because of the chains that bound him together, Blizzerd merely telegraphed what he was feeling to Ludwig through the orbs on his antenna - flashing twice, pause, flashing twice again. He knew Ludwig was smart enough to recognize exactly what emotion he was feeling, even if he was doing it subconsciously. Amusement. The Koopa King had spun away angrily, waving his wand as he made the chains stronger. He had not expected the loophole in the previous chains, and if there was one, he had not expected a Wizzerd who had spent most his life living with other species to figure it out. Blizzerd snapped out of his thoughts and squinted his eyes as he heard heavy steps climbing the stairs toward him. He could see two Hammer Brothers mounting toward him, despite the difficulty of seeing in the lashing and torrential rain. He hadn’t expected Ludwig to be kind enough to take him inside during the rains. Month Mushroom had passed, and Month Leaf would be beginning to show in thunderstorms, and eventually, falling leaves. A clap of thunder and a flash of lightning punctuated the ascent of the Koopan soldiers onto the roof. Wordlessly, they tore some of the chains binding him to the roof, but held a solid grip on them as they guided Blizzerd down the stairs. Blizzerd knew that it would be fruitless to struggle or to attempt to escape - although he could hover, actually flying for extended distances was not something a Wizzerd could normally do. Furthermore, there was nothing he could actually do - the magical spells in the chains binding him prevented him from casting any magic, as well as doubling down and doing what chains normally did - prevent him from moving. Expecting to be dropped next to the cell where the rest of the ex-battlers were held, Blizzerd was surprised as the Hammer Brothers continued heaving him past the battlers. Aaron had leapt up, his hands curled around the bars, and was shouting at the guards dragging Blizzerd away. Shazam was right behind him, with Xavier sitting in the corner, seemingly not caring. Sarge was poking at their guard with his bony fingers, but when the guard - a Fire Brother - lit his hand on fire and put it next to the bars, everyone leapt back, especially Sarge. Blizzerd felt a flash of hot rage. Having become accustomed to Sarge, the battlers knew he was immensely pyrophobic. To use a Fire Brother as Sarge’s guard would have been intentional. The Koopa King was cruel and vile to do that, target an enemy with one of his worst fears. Feeling himself be thrown into a dark room, after they had proceeded down the tower for a little while, Blizzerd felt his chains be attached to stakes in the room which he couldn’t see. Fear echoed through him, making his orbs glow orange three times, before pausing. The weak light that came from them allowed Blizzerd to see that he was not alone in the room - barely two paces in front of him was a shape of two tufted hairs. The torches around him lit up with dark blue fire. Sitting in front of him, cross-legged as if he was meditating, his facial scars framed in the light, his claws glinting menacingly, was none other than the King of the Koopas - Ludwig. “You’re zee perpetrator of zat horrible escape a few days ago,” Ludwig hissed. It wasn’t a question, more of a statement. “It’s time zat you learned to regret zat.” He regained his feet, pointing his wand at Blizzerd. At once, Blizzerd felt the chains move away - only slightly, so that his top half was floating above his bottom, enough so he could talk, but not close to enough to cast magic. “Vhere vill Tubba go next?” Snorting at the Koopa King, Blizzerd spat at his feet. “You’re insane if you think I’ll tell you.” In his heart, he knew exactly where Tubba would be going. Upon getting to Shooting Star Summit, regardless of if he could revive Gonzales or not, he would begin to look to circle back around to Gusty Gulch with more reinforcements. That would mean he would go back to where they had docked in Ice Land, and pick up the rest of the SS Mahruav. “Vill he give up?” Ludwig’s dark eyes bored into Blizzerd’s. Blizzerd glared at him, refusing to say anything. If he gave Tubba up, he would be giving them both up. Ludwig would have surely no purpose for them, and while public executions were not palatable anymore, private ones... were definitely still on the menu. Ludwig turned away, turning his magic sceptre over in his clawed hand, it’s metal glinting in the dark blue torchlight. “I see zat you sink he vont, judging by your stubborn reziztance... no matter. Vhenever he comes back, vee shall be more ready, more prepared, more capable to dispatch him. Zis little game has gone on six years too many.” Ludwig suddenly spun around and pointed his wand at Blizzerd, causing wrenching pain to sear through the Wizzerd as he felt the two halves of his body be contorted. “VHY IS HE GOING SOUTH!?” “Wh-what?” Blizzerd groaned out through the pain. It felt as if every part of his body was on fire. Truthfully, he had no idea why Tubba was going south - but he wouldn’t let Ludwig know that. “I won’t tell you!” He snarled out defiantly, before feeling the pain ramp up as Ludwig continued to move the parts of his body around. “I know zat he’s going to zee Kremling Islands. Our patrols have seen him. The Kremlings are in their own little... civeel dispute, so to speak.” Ludwig drawled, “it’s not qvite safe to send our patrols into zee heart of zat. Vhich begs zee qvestion... vhy is Tubba and his little ship going there?” Blizzerd glared at Ludwig, feeling wave upon wave of pain wrack his body. Ludwig curled his lip as he realized that Blizzerd would not respond to his questions. “Fine... more power.” Blizzerd felt a scream of agony echo through him as Ludwig twisted his wand. “I von’t hesitate to purge your magical energy if I have to.”